Overview
Lecale is a low, sea-ringed peninsula on the east coast of County Down, lying between Strangford Lough and Dundrum Bay. Its drumlin hills and reclaimed farmland form part of the Strangford and Lecale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and sit within the Mourne Gullion Strangford UNESCO Global Geopark. The name is from the Irish Leath Cathail, ‘Cathal’s half’, and in the Middle Ages this was a túath of the Gaelic kingdom of Ulaid, later a county of the Anglo-Norman Earldom of Ulster. The sea once nearly encircled it; the tides were only pushed back in 1745, when Edward Southwell built the first sea barriers and drained the marshes into farmland.
Ireland’s three patron saints
Lecale’s real claim is in the ground at Downpatrick: by tradition, all three of Ireland’s patron saints are buried here. St Patrick is said to have landed at the Slaney estuary on his return to Ireland, died at Saul and been buried at Downpatrick. The relics of St Brigid were brought here in 835, and those of St Columba from Iona in 877. The story goes that the three graves were rediscovered in 1185 and reinstated the following year by John de Courcy, desecrated in 1538 during the Reformation, and finally marked by the granite slab you see today, laid in 1900.
You can follow the story at the Saint Patrick’s Centre in Downpatrick, home to the only permanent exhibition on the saint, and outdoors at the 30-foot bronze statue of St Patrick on Slieve Patrick, put up in 1932 for the 1,500th anniversary of his arrival.
Castles and tower houses
Medieval Lecale was a maritime frontier, held by a ring of stone castles. Dundrum Castle, built by John de Courcy in the late 12th century, is said to have been raised for the Knights Templar, who tradition claims held it until their order was suppressed in 1313; its ruins still look down on the earthworks of Dún Droma. To the south, Kilclief Castle is one of Ireland’s best-preserved 15th-century tower houses, built between 1413 and 1441. The old port of Ardglass keeps its medieval walls and castle remnants, a reminder of centuries of trade and coastal defence.
Walking the Lecale Way
The Lecale Way runs 47 miles (76 km) from Downpatrick to Newcastle, taking in the Saint Patrick’s Centre, Down Cathedral, the holy wells at Struell, long sandy beaches and stretches where you’ll see seabirds and seals. Most of it is flat and easily broken into day-length sections. Away from the main route, quieter local circuits – the ‘pads’ and ‘loneys’ that thread the fields around Lough Money – give shorter loops past dolmens and standing stones, though they can be persistently muddy and rarely wheelchair-friendly; waterproof boots earn their place here.
Guided walks
For the folklore, the Legends of Lecale Peninsula tours are led by Duane Fitzsimons, a seventh-generation farmer’s son who takes small groups to battle sites, shipwreck spots and the places behind the saints’ stories. Tours run year-round by arrangement; book through lecalepeninsula.com or on +44 (0) 7835 441 933.
Practical information
Lecale is about an hour from Belfast and two from Dublin by car; the main approach is the A7 to Downpatrick. From the Ards Peninsula, the Strangford Lough Ferry saves a long drive around the lough. Ulsterbus links Belfast and Downpatrick regularly, and route 71 runs to Ardglass in peak season.
- Walking: most routes cross uneven ground, farm tracks and stiles, so they’re not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs off the surfaced sections.
- Seasonal notes: summer is best for birdwatching on Strangford Lough, a Marine Protected Area; spring and autumn are quiet but wet underfoot, especially around Lough Money.
St John’s Point, at the southern tip, makes the natural place to finish a coastal walk – where Strangford Lough gives way to the open Irish Sea.